Envelope and assembly thereof



June 26, 1928. I I

J. T. WILLIAMS ENVELOPE AND ASSEMBLY THEREOF Filed June 17, 1927 A ORNEYS.

Patented June 26, 1928.

UNITED STATES JAMES '1. WILLIAMS, 0E HILLSIDE, NEW JERSEY.

ENVELOPE AND ASSEMBLY THEREOF.

Application filed June 17,

This invention is an envelope particularly adapted for-use fOI' COllGClZlOIIS in churches, Sunday schools, etc. It has been the common practice in churches and Sunday schools to provide, for example, for a part of the collection to go to church support, another part to home missions, and still another part to foreignmissions, and it is common to provide envelopes appropriately marked for each of these three collections. In some churches, only one mission envelope is used and the collection received therein is divided among home and foreign missions. The gen-' eral practice is to use envelopes embodying two compartments formed by securing together the front and back wall of the envelope at about its center, and'in some cases the envelope is transversely perforated in the zone of attachment, so that the two lateral halves of the envelope may be torn apart.

Envelopes of this character are generally furnished to the church or Sunday school in sets, each of which embodies one envelope for each Sunday, and on the face of each envelope is marked the date at which the collection is to be taken and the uses to which it is to be put. As many sets are provided as there are members or prospective members of the church and Sunday school, and it therefore follows that if a member joins at the middle of the year, all the envelopes of his set prior to his date of joining are of no use and are discarded. Similarly, if a member leaves the church during'the year, the envelopes of his set for the remainder of the year are discarded, because each envelope is dated and can only beused for the particular date for which it is intended.

In the use of compartment envelopes of the character described, it is not uncommon fora subscriber to inadvertently overlook one compartment of the envelope, so that the adverted to, will be apparent from the hereintention to subscribe for missions, for example may inadvertently not be carried out.

With the foregoing considerations in mind, the object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient collection envelope, so constructed that it will be impossible to overlook any particular] compartment of the envelope,andxto further-so constitute the envelopes that they may be made appropriate to a particular month and may be used 7 for any particular month, so that if a member joins or leaves the church during the year, the pronounced waste heretofore practiced is avoided.

1927.. Serial no. 199,464.

Speaking generally, the collection en velope ofthe present invention embodies at 'least two envelopes of different sizes, the

smaller of which is secured toand within the larger in such manner that'it may be moved into or out of the confines of the larger. For example, the. larger, envelope may be for church support, 'while" the "SIllfillBlQ'WlllCll is secured to the larger and near the open side of thelatter, maybe employed "for mission subscriptions. There are four orfive envelopes to reach monthly set and there are as many sets as there are members or prospective members, and on the face of each envelope of each set is a number corresponding to the consecutive numbering of the Sundays of'the month, usually four in numberfor the majority of months, other maintainthe smaller envelope of each collection envelope in an exterior, exposed condition, so that it cannot beoverlooked, it be.- ing necessary to first fold thcflap of the smaller envelope to the smaller envelope and insert the smaller envelope into the-larger envelope before the larger envelopecan be closed, this constituting an interlocking fea: ture between the envelopes.- A subscriber nipulate the small envelope before he can close the'larger one and he therefore cannot inadvertently overlook the smaller in using the larger.

Features of the invention, other than those inafter detailed description and claims, when tion, but the constructions therein shown are to'beiunderstood illustrative only.v and not 'as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an envelope embodying the present invention. This figure shows two smaller envelopes within'the larger one and both smaller envelopes are shown in-exposed position.

'will thus find it necessary to actually ma- I drawings illustrate Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows the envelopes of Figure 1 in closed condition. I

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, but illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows one of the smaller envelopes of Figure 4 folded into the other smaller envelope; and

Figure 7 shows the two smaller envelopes of Figure 5 and Figure 6 folded into the largest envelope.

Figure 8 shows an arrangement of envelopes in order for proper use in predetermined manner for the succeeding Sundaysof a five-Sunday month, mounting being shown on pin or fastener with removal limited to one end of fastener.

.Referring first to Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, 1 designates the outer envelope which is of convenient conventional size, while 2 and 3 designate smaller envelopes of a width slightly less than the height of the envelope 1. These envelopes may be of any suitable construction, i. e., they ma be made by folding paper stock in any suitable manner, but are preferably provided each with a flap adapted to be folded down to close the corresponding envelope. Thus, the envelope 1 is provided with a flapl, the envelope 2 is provided with a flap 5 and the envelope 0 has a flap 6.

In the preferred manner of carrying out the present invention, the envelope 2 and envelope 3 extend into and are secured to the envelope 1 by means of eyelets or other pivots 7 and 8, and as shown in Figure 2, these eyeletsextend directly through the front and back walls of the envelope 1 and throughthe envelopes 2- and 3, respectively, so as to that the smaller envelopes 2 and 3 may nor- .mally occupy the exposed positions illustrated in Figure 1. They may be secured in this exposed position by means of a readily detachable fastener 9 which extends through all three envelopes, when in the exposed positions shown in Figure 1.

When the parts are in the position shown in Figure 1, most of thesurfaces of the envelopes will be exposed to view, and it will be impossible to fold over the flap 4 the envelope 1 with the parts in these positions. Thus, a person picking up the envelopes to arrange or deposit a collection therein, will have to manually manipulate both of the envelopes 2 and 3 before the envelope 1 can be closed. This procedure of closing the envelope for use is accomplished by first removing the fastener 9 and then successively foldone can possibly accomplish this result without having his attention directed to each'of the smaller envelopes 2 and 3, and, accord- ..ingly, the possibility of forgetting the opportunity to deposit collections therein is mimmized.

In the construction of Figures 1 andB, two smaller envelopes are associated with. the larger one to provide for separate collections for church support, home and foreign missions. It is within the purview of this inven- 1 .tion, however, to dispense with either of the smaller envelopes 2 and 3 so that there may be only one smaller envelope.

The constructionof Figures 4 to 7 differs somewhat from theconstruction of Figures 1' to 3 although the operating is substantially inthe same manner. .In Figures 4 to 7,.the envelopes 1 anc 3? are identical with the construction ofthe envelopes 1 and 3 and are associated with one another in the. same manner. The envelope 10, however, which corresponds in function to the envelope 2 is pivotally mounted in the envelope 3 in the same manner as the envelope 3 is pivotally mounted in the envelope 1. Y That is to say, the pivot 11 performsthe same function in securing the envelope 10 within the envelope 3 as the pivot 8? performs in securing the envelope 3 within the envelope 1. In compacting an envelope ofthis type, the envelope 10 is first folded into theenvelope 3, as shown in Figure 6, and thereupon the envelope 3 is folded within the envelope 1 as shown in Figure 7, and the flap 4 is ready to be folded down to close the envelope 1,. Fasteners 9-and 12 may be employed to normallymaintain the envelopes 3 and 10 in exposed positions.

It will be understood that the front face, back face, or both faces of each of the envelopes will bear appropriate printing setting forth the use to which its-collection willbe applied. The largest envelopes, however, are

jpreferablymarkedfor identification and for the particular Sunday of the month. As hereinbefore stated, it is the intention that each member of the congregation offer, or deposit, each Sunday one of the collection envelopes which I. have described herein, and

as there are never more than five Sundays to a month, a complete set of theseenvelopes for any member for a given month would amount to five collection envelopes of the character described. 7 The series for a year would amount to a compilation of twelve sets with the fifth Sundays occurring therein properly arranged for.

For convenience and ready identification,

particularly by children, this maximum set of five envelopes shown in Figure 8 of the Y drawings is preferably made in five diflerent colors, and they are shown in the sequence 1 to 5 as red, yellow, green, blue, and orange respectively. These colors are shown herein, but any other scheme or combination of colors, may be used to accomplish the purpose of identification. Thus these respective envelopes will be used on the corresponding Sundays of the month and the particular Sunday for each envelope will be apparent from the color as well as from the number or numeral thereon. It is important to note that this set of envelopes may be used for any calendar month of any'year and if kept in stock are good at all times, when issued to the member. In this way a pronounced saving is effected over prior practice.

One of the outstanding features of the invention consists in a collection envelope wherein at least two individual receptacles are provided, one of which normally extends into exposed position from within the other, while the former is adapted to be moved into the latter to be fully concealed therein. The

' pivotal connection which I have described is well adapted for this purpose. understood, however, that it is within the purview of this invention to dispense with the pivots 7, 8, 8 and 11, and to employ in lieu thereof a small daub of adhesive to secure the smaller envelopes in a normally exposed position within the larger one. An adhesive should be employed which will permit of the tea-ring loose of the smaller envelope so that it may be removed from the larger one and positioned in the latter when it is desired to close the large envelope. This latter manner of carrying out the invention will of course dispense with the necessity of fasteners 9, 9 and 12, and it is wholly practical for use in the taking of church collections, where the members are, in the main, adults. For Sunday school collections, however the pivotal, non-detachable connection to which I have referred, is preferable, since with this construction, the children cannot detach the smaller envelopes and lose them, and the appeal for funds for helping others must be given consideration before passing to the larger envelope for the support of the school.

It is desirable in many instances to associate groups of envelopes in a predetermined manner and in desired sequence and Figure 8 is illustrative of such anassembly. Here a relatively long fastener 90 is utilized in lieu of the fastener 9 of Figure 1, for ex- I wish it "the invention is adapted for other uses than that described and for this reason itis to be understood that the invent-ion is not limited-to the specific use specified.

Having thus fully described the invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an assembly of the character described, a plurality of envelopes of different sizes, each of which is provided with a flap, and the smaller of which envelopes are adapted to be received into the larger, and means for pivoting each smaller envelope to a larger envelope in such relation that the smaller envelopes cannot be moved into the larger envelopes until the flaps of such smaller envelopes are folded into closed position, the flaps of the larger envelopes being maintained in opened relation until the smaller envelopes have been pivoted into the larger envelopes.

2. In an assembly of the character described, two envelopes of different sizes each of which has a flap normally open, and means for pivoting the smaller envelope within the larger envelope in such relative position to the larger envelope that the smaller cannot be wholly received into the larger unless the flap of the smaller is closed, and the flap of the larger cannot be folded into closed position until the smaller is wholly received into the larger.

3. In an assembly of the character described, a plurality of sets of envelopes,each of which sets embodies a plurality of envelopes of graduated sizes pivoted in inter fitting relation at all times and normally positioned to expose the greater portions of all of the envelopes of each set, all of the smaller envelopes of each set being wholly receivable into the largezt envelope of said set, and means passing throughall of the envelopes of all of the sets for maintaining the several sets in assembled relation and for maintaining all of the envelopes in open position.

4. In an assembly of the characterdescribed, an outer envelope, a smaller inner envelope, at least partially nested at all ally moved edgewise from partially nested ring positioned to permit the movement oi position into fully concealed position within each smaller envelope into fully concealed the larger envelope. :position within the next larger one, whereby 5. In-an assembly of the character deell ofvsaid, smaller envelopesflnay be holly 5 scribed, aplurality of envelopes of graducontained Within the envelope of maximum 1 ated sizes pivoted: consecutively toone 311- size. r 1 other and at least partially'nested with re- ,In teiitin onywhereof I havesigneclthe speot to one another at alltimes, all of said foregoing specification. V envelopes normally occupying partially (2x e d i0 posed positions, said pivotal oonnect-ions'ber r JAMES T; WILIJIAMSQ 

